Jesus Was, Is, and Will Be Worshipped

Divine worship and adoration are due to God only, but Jesus was worshipped as a divine person and He accepted this honor. He had the self-understanding of being God as people believed in Him. When John mistakenly tried to worship an angel, he was warned, “Do not do that … worship God” (Rev 19:10; 22:9, NASB). Paul refused to be worshipped (Acts 10:25–26; 14:11–15). The first and second precepts of the Ten Commandments limit worship only to God and prohibit the worship of anything or anyone aside from Yahweh. When Satan asked Jesus to bow down before him, Jesus Christ refused and explicitly stated, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only’“ (Matt 4:10; cf. Deut 6:13). But Jesus accepted being worshipped (John 9:38), because He was God. Jesus was worshipped by magi, His disciples, and others who saw His outstanding actions (Matt 2:8; 14:33; 15:25; 18:26; 20:20; 28:9, 17; Luke 24:52). The angels worship the Son (Heb 1:6). In the inauguration scene of Revelation 4 and 5, five hymns are recorded which were sung in heaven: the first two hymns worship the Father (Rev 4:8, 11) and the following two give highest honor in worship to the Son (Rev 5:9–10, 12). The last culminating hymn addresses both the Father and the Son, and it is stated that all worship them (Rev 5:13–14). Everyone in the whole universe will worship Christ according to Philippians 2:10–11. Jesus is addressed in prayer in 1 Corinthians 1:2 as believers call on the name of Jesus. John 14:14 underlines that what we will ask Jesus in His name, He will do. The deacon Stephen prayed to Jesus when he was stoned (Acts 7:59).